I'm sorry, but we will be the 2nd seed

[Roy H.]

We effectively have a 2 game lead in the loss column over CHI.  They have 1 more loss than us, and we have an even more comfortable lead in the tiebreaker (conf record).  If we beat them in the our last matchup then the tiebreaker is guaranteed.  I still feel confident we'll hang on to #1 in the east.

What's the point of having a better record than LAL or DAL if you don't make it out of the east?  That's not a given if we don't lock up #1 ECF.  But I think it's very likely if we do secure #1 ECF. 

Not for nothing, but didn't we effectively have a four game lead in the loss column two games ago?  Optimism is great, but two games just isn't a big enough lead to me to have any degree of confidence.  Hopefully this all comes down to the Chicago game later in the season, but I worry that that game may be meaningless.  Our team is banged up right now, and as a consequence we're losing games in the easiest part of our schedule, while Chicago continues to play well.

[nba is the worst]

at the end of the day i'm really only worried about getting a better record than LA and san antonio.

As am I. Home court advantage is more important in the Finals than in the first 3 playoff rounds IMO.

Conveniently, if this is accomplished, the C's have the best record in the league and HCA throughout.

So unlikely as to not be worth mentioning (unless SA has major injuries crop up).

[Jon]

Honestly, while we may end up being the #2 seed, any sort of proclamation at this point is just entirely premature and unfounded.  The Bulls are red hot right now and we're playing lackluster ball and missing pretty much everyone who will actually play with our Big Four in a playoff game while assimilating a lot of players who likely won't. 

That could easily change when everyone is back and we build some cohesion. 

And the Bulls could hit a rough stretch or lose someone to injury. 

Of course if this keeps up it could happen; however, to expect any trend to last indefinitely is just flat out wrong. 

[chambers]

We effectively have a 2 game lead in the loss column over CHI.  They have 1 more loss than us, and we have an even more comfortable lead in the tiebreaker (conf record).  If we beat them in the our last matchup then the tiebreaker is guaranteed.  I still feel confident we'll hang on to #1 in the east.

What's the point of having a better record than LAL or DAL if you don't make it out of the east?  That's not a given if we don't lock up #1 ECF.  But I think it's very likely if we do secure #1 ECF. 

Not for nothing, but didn't we effectively have a four game lead in the loss column two games ago?  Optimism is great, but two games just isn't a big enough lead to me to have any degree of confidence.  Hopefully this all comes down to the Chicago game later in the season, but I worry that that game may be meaningless.  Our team is banged up right now, and as a consequence we're losing games in the easiest part of our schedule, while Chicago continues to play well.

It's arguable that both these games were lost due to our starters lack of input.
I think we are going to see a minor 'break away' from the Celtics towards the end of the season once the new guys are settled in and the starters get over their recent slump.
Chicagos schedule is easy, but so is ours.
Although it's not guaranteed, our new bench unit will probably become the best bench unit/5-6 man rotation in the entire playoffs and they will get this way by sorting things out within the next 15-20 games.

Similarly to you, I like the notion that if we don't make number 1 seed because we are resting guys, we can live with it because we will have a squad that is almost 100% healthy and ready to roll.( a team that i think is basically going to bulldoze every team in it's path to banner 18)
I would much rather a 95% healthy squad that has to go through miami and the bulls rather than an 85% squad that only has to play one tough Eastern conference playoff series.

[Donoghus]

To early to concede the #1 seed although I have mentioned that if I woke up the morning of March 17th and we had less than a 3 game lead at that point, then I'd be worried about our chances at securing it.  Late March/Early April is going to be a battle if you look at the schedule.

[chambers]

To early to concede the #1 seed although I have mentioned that if I woke up the morning of March 17th and we had less than a 3 game lead at that point, then I'd be worried about our chances at securing it.  Late March/Early April is going to be a battle if you look at the schedule.

don't we have the 5th easiest schedule over all though?
we also have some good tie breakers. I'm not that worried until we drop 2 games behind the bulls.

[Mike-Dub]

I'm not afraid of the Bulls even if they have home court.  Anyways I still think we're going to be the number one seed in the East.  The only team I'm reall worried about having hc against is LA.

[Donoghus]

To early to concede the #1 seed although I have mentioned that if I woke up the morning of March 17th and we had less than a 3 game lead at that point, then I'd be worried about our chances at securing it.  Late March/Early April is going to be a battle if you look at the schedule.

don't we have the 5th easiest schedule over all though?
we also have some good tie breakers. I'm not that worried until we drop 2 games behind the bulls.

Does a stretch of @SA, @ATL, DET, PHI, @CHI, WSH, @MIA, @WSH, NY to end the season look easy to you?

It doesn't in my eyes.  I'd be much more confident of our chancees at a #1 seed if we only had to play .500 basketball or better during that stretch and not .750 ball which it might take (or more).

[nba is the worst]

To early to concede the #1 seed although I have mentioned that if I woke up the morning of March 17th and we had less than a 3 game lead at that point, then I'd be worried about our chances at securing it.  Late March/Early April is going to be a battle if you look at the schedule.

don't we have the 5th easiest schedule over all though?
we also have some good tie breakers. I'm not that worried until we drop 2 games behind the bulls.

Does a stretch of @SA, @ATL, DET, PHI, @CHI, WSH, @MIA, @WSH, NY to end the season look easy to you?

It doesn't in my eyes.  I'd be much more confident of our chancees at a #1 seed if we only had to play .500 basketball or better during that stretch and not .750 ball which it might take (or more).

Completely agree - road B2B's at Hornets, Pacers, Hawks (the night after the Spurs), and Wizards (the night after the Heatles) - tough for any team.

[chambers]

well look at this way.
The next 9 games are:
bucks
nets
pacers
rockets
hornets
knicks
grizzlies
bobcats
wolves
pacers again..

We have an easy schedule for the next 9 games.
That tougher run is going to suck..but if things go according to plan (knock on wood) then Shaq,baby, delonte and hopefully JO will be back by the hard stretch and our new players will have played 20 games by then which makes this last regular season stretch look much more doable.

[Celtics18]

A couple of games ago we had the first seed wrapped up.  Now, we are out of the running. 

We are prone to overreactions either way.  The top three seeds in the East could go any way still.  It looks to be an exciting finish. 

I think it will be close enough that if we beat both the Bulls and Heat in April, we'll hang on to the 1st spot.

[Weird Facts]

Why are you sorry.
It is your prediction / opinion.

Hopefully we'll be the 1st seed- I'll stay optimistic.

But you guys can panic if you want haha.

[P2]

at the end of the day i'm really only worried about getting a better record than LA and san antonion.
We are going to have to play chicago or miami at some point and we are going to have to beat them over 7 games- doesn't really matter what round.

I would be more concerned about staying par with the lakers/spurs at the moment whilst getting everyone healthy. Spurs should drop back to the back soon. ( they already are)
We've still got 1st seed after all the stuff that's happened to us injury wise i'll be happy to just make it to the playoffs with a 100% healthy squad- which is looking very possible.

You are kidding yourself.  Seeding and HCA matter.  And while we may have to play Chi or Mia, in this scenerio, we'd have to play both of them.

This is exactly what I was about to say.

[Tai]

If seeding matters because of who we'd, in theory, have to play, I understand that.

As far as 4 home games vs 3, the way I see it, we'd still have to beat a team on the road to win a series, and if you don't believe so, you're kidding yourself.

So, I can accept saying the #1 seed matters if it means we possibly don't have to face both Miami AND Chicago, and instead only one of them, but simple HCA (4 home games vs 3 home games)...that assures us nothing if we're not willing to win on the road. I repeat, NOTHING. Even in the NBA Finals.

[nba is the worst]

well look at this way.
The next 9 games are:
bucks
nets
pacers
rockets
hornets
knicks
grizzlies
bobcats
wolves
pacers again..

We have an easy schedule for the next 9 games.
That tougher run is going to suck..but if things go according to plan (knock on wood) then Shaq,baby, delonte and hopefully JO will be back by the hard stretch and our new players will have played 20 games by then which makes this last regular season stretch look much more doable.

So you're saying road B2B's at nets, hornets, then 1 day off before @ Knicks, and then another road B2B @ pacers is "easy"?

Rockets are 7-3 and haven't lost at home since the allstar break.

Looks like a tough stretch to me - I hope the team doesn't see it your way...